Heroes from the Sky
by Hikaru7
Summary: In the absence of Erwin, Rivaille has to take care of the young soldiers of the Scouting Legion. A letter arrives from Pixis, requesting the investigation of a strange flying object that crash-landed at the foot of Wall Rose. Would the discovery mean a step towards humanity's glory? Will Eren be able to live up to the role of being humanity's hope? [spoilers, OCs, no pairing]
1. Recklessly Brave

**Notes:**  
I put the OCs into the story to bring some change, like new techlonogy and stuff, but otherwise they're not that significant now. Sorry it's not a well-written story. I wrote most of this while in class, so it's a bit hastily put together, with a few gaps I apologize for in advance. The chapters also vary in length, because I just suck at planning ahead neatly. I've got about 12 chapters more-or-less at the ready, but not a conclusive ending. I started writing this after reading the manga until chapter 50, and began speculating what would happen next... well, obviously not some outsiders from the sky, but never mind. I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless.

Maybe I'll pick this story up again, revise and do a better job on it. Please review, let me know what you think! ;)

Warning: there'll be a couple of spoilers, and grammar mistakes

* * *

**Recklessly Brave**

Slowly emerging from the darkness of his mind, Eren opened up his eyes on a vast, light-blue sky. His head was aching, and he could feel cold stone under him. Turning to his back, he could dimly make out the distant, large shape of a bell hiding high up in the darkness above him.

'A bell tower?'

Fragments of whispering sounds reached his ear. As he regained consciousness, he could make out words, although vaguely familiar, their meaning kept escaping his grasp.

'Armin? ... Mikasa?'

He turned to his side, towards the source of the sounds.

"_He's awake._"

The voice was unfamiliar to him. A boy his own age was crouching beside him. To some distance, a young man was sitting with his back to the wall. He seemed to be injured. Both of them were wearing strangely coloured cloaks, ones he had never seen before. He couldn't tell what kind of uniform they were wearing beneath the cloak, but he saw a 3D manoeuvre gear at the boy's feet. He also caught a glimpse of shining metal. The boy was wearing an ornate sword at his side.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to get up.

His head was still swimming, as if he had received a strong blow. He almost fell back to the stone floor, but the boy caught him. He was a head taller than Eren. When his vision cleared and the strength returned to his feet, Eren stood upright and looked around. They were high above the remains of an abandoned city. He could see the Wall towering in the distance. But which Wall?

"Where are we? Why did you bring me here?" he demanded, as memory fragments started to return.

"_Good to see you're so lively. We're heading out soon,_" the boy spoke, but Eren found he couldn't really comprehend his speech.

The boy lifted up the manoeuvre gear. Looking at it more closely, Eren realized it was his own.

"Give that back!" he shouted, and made for the boy.

In a flash, a fist struck him in the stomach, and he collapsed on the ground again.

"_You shouldn't exert yourself,_" the boy sounded concerned.

Eren didn't realize that the man had moved. His perception was still hazy from the earlier blow.

"_I'll carry him,_" the man said.

Eren was lifted by strong arms. The man was even taller than the boy. Eren didn't have the strength to resist. He saw the boy taking his 3D gear, carrying it rather awkwardly on his back. Then, darkness engulfed him again.

* * *

SOME DAYS PREVIOUSLY…

Eren was looking at the sunlight dancing on the ceiling. He was lying in bed, wrapped up in warm blankets which made him feel too hot. He knew he was inside the Walls again, at the headquarters of the Scouting Legion. That much he remembered. The rest was better not recalled.

Mikasa was sitting at the edge of his bed. As he expected, her face showed extreme concern. Somehow, when she looked at him that way, she reminded him of his mother. This always made him sad, but angry as well.

"You shouldn't move yet," Mikasa said, trying to keep him in bed.

"I'm all right now!" Eren snapped, struggling to get up.

Suddenly, with a cloud of dust, the door burst open, and Lance Corporal Rivaille stormed in, fully armed.

"Ackerman, we're heading out. Report to me in two minutes, on the front yard," he said in his usual commanding tone.

"Yes, sir," Mikasa replied, but she seemed to be reluctant to leave Eren, who took advantage of the interruption and got up.

"I'm going, too!"

Rivaille glanced at him sharply, then turned away.

"This room is filthy. Fresh air would do you good."

Mikasa started to protest, but by then Eren had already thrown down his blankets, and was rushing out of the room. After some searching, he found his 3D gear and equipped it, then went outside. He met Armin at the stables.

"Are you sure it's all right for you to be up yet?" Armin inquired with the same worried look.

"Don't start it, Armin," Eren replied. "I'm perfectly fine. I just need some fresh air."

He had enough of both Mikasa and Armin treating him like a helpless child.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" Eren questioned him, seeing that Armin, too, was fully equipped.

"Mikasa and I were asked to accompany Lance Corporal Rivaille on an urgent mission," he answered. "But you…?"

"That's right, I'm coming with you," Eren said, ignoring the look of horror on Armin's face. "I'd rather die today than spend another day lying uselessly in bed. This time, I won't be a hindrance, I promise that."

"Now, that was a spirited speech," Rivaille said, riding up behind him.

Mikasa, too, was already mounted on her horse.

"I expect you to live up to your word from now on," the Lance Corporal continued. "I only want soldiers with either guts or brains in my squad. So far, you've failed to demonstrate your worth. I have no need for useless luggage."

With a last stabbing glance, Rivaille rode forward, followed by Mikasa. Eren and Armin mounted their horses, and rode after them.

Hearing the Lance Corporal's words, Eren felt the anger building up in him, but he couldn't argue. What Rivaille had said was the truth: instead of fulfilling his role as humanity's hope, contributing to humanity's advancement in the seemingly endless war waged on the Titans, he accomplished nothing. The huge number of sacrifices, the blind trust in the faint hope he stood for – it all weighed on his conscience. Failing to capture the female-form Titan, the complete eradication of the Rivaille Squad, as well as further casualties suffered at retrieving him from the Titan's grasp – he was the one responsible for all that. He doubted whether Rivaille – or anyone else – could ever forgive him. They had bet everything on him – and he had lost them the gamble.

He felt he could never make up for the losses, but at least he wanted to try – or die trying. It was becoming too much of a burden to carry. From now on, he decided to follow orders from Rivaille or Erwin without hesitation. He didn't know where they were going this time, but didn't question. It was easier than he had previously thought.

When they had left the headquarters a good distance behind them, Lance Corporal Rivaille began the briefing.

"We're heading towards the Southern Gate of Wall Rose. I received a letter from Commander Pixis, requesting an investigation."

"An investigation?" Armin asked. "Are the Titans involved?"

"We're not sure yet," Rivaille answered. "Don't let your guards down, nevertheless. With what happened during the past few weeks, I doubt there's anyplace safe, even within the Walls."

That was true: the discovery that Titans could assume human form and mingle with the human population unnoticed made life within the Walls as dangerous as living outside, if not more so. After what had happened, one couldn't trust even their closest friends anymore. Anyone could become suspect of possessing Titan powers, or siding with those creatures, which were considered the archenemy of humanity for as long as people could remember.

But was this really the true story? After the discovery of his own Titan power, and the turn of events and shocking discoveries that followed, Eren couldn't help wondering about the true identity and purpose of the Titans. More than anything else, he was intrigued by the mystery of what could be lying in the basement of their old family home. He still had the key to the basement on a chain around his neck, and never parted with it. The mission to reach the ruins of his hometown might have failed, but he never gave up on the hope of returning there again, and finally learning the secret of the Titans. What other purpose should his Titan power serve than to contribute to humanity's advance?

* * *

Once again, he felt useless – his head aching, being carried away by people he couldn't trust, to a place unknown. As he regained consciousness again, he looked about, searching for a clue as to where they were heading. He could see the blue sky around them, as well as the rooftops of buildings. They were high above the ground – but was it still inside the Walls?

"_Where are we going?_" he managed to say, although the words he uttered were quite unfamiliar to his ears.

"_You're conscious again,_" the boy said, somewhat relieved. "_Can you stand? We cannot afford to carry you any further._"

Eren stood up. The man who had been carrying him stood at the edge of the roof, holding a telescope to one eye.

"_There's another one to our right,_" he said.

The boy looked nervously towards the indicated direction.

"_What the hell are they?_"

In the meantime, Eren realized that they were in an abandoned area – a town from which humans were either driven away or devoured by Titans. The place seemed to be forsaken long ago. The Walls that for a hundred year served as protection against them couldn't guarantee humanity's safety anymore. However strong and tall those walls were built, the Titans found a way to breach them. Witnessing the events first-hand, Eren would never forget the horror of it for as long as he lived. The sight of this abandoned area made him tremble, as it brought back the memories of that day, when he first tasted the fear and despair of living in terror of their eternal enemies, the Titans.

But more than fear, he felt anger welling up inside him. What were those two thinking, bringing him into Titan territory? Apart from their fancy swords and his own blades, they didn't seem to have any weapons to fight them. Unless they had some secret powers…

"What do you think you're doing? Just who are you, anyway?" he demanded.

The boy turned to him and spoke.

"_What? If you don't keep your voice down, I shall knock you out again!_"

His voice sounded threatening, but Eren didn't care.

"Are you one of them?" he insisted.

"Them?" the boy repeated, a questioning look on his face.

"A Titan," Eren replied.

"_What is_ Titan?" the boy asked, turning to the tall man beside him, then looking into the distance. "_Could he be referring to those things over there?_"

"_Those must be the kind we saw from the air._" the man observed.

"_Probably,_" the boy agreed.

Eren moved closer to the edge, and peered into the distance. He could make out large shapes within threatening proximity. For him, there was no doubt about what they were. And he knew that once they sensed their presence, the Titans would come to devour them.

There was only one way to get rid of them, but killing a Titan wasn't an easy task, especially without the right equipment. Eren's 3D manoeuvre gear was dangling uselessly from the boy's back, and he didn't dare to attempt retrieving it. In the present situation, he couldn't afford to be knocked out again.

He had to acknowledge that his enemies were strong and fast, but now they were up against an even greater threat. He couldn't imagine how it would all turn out once they were attacked by Titans. Could he use his own Titan power to defend himself? What would Mikasa or Armin do in such a situation?

As he pondered this, Rivaille's words came back to his mind: guts and brains. He had to use his brains in order to avoid the situation getting any worse. He willed himself to think hard. He had to talk his captors out of approaching the Titans or attempting an attack on them. But how to convince them, without the command of the strange language they spoke? Nevertheless, he had to give it a try.

"We have to get out of here, and fast," he began, hoping that they would at least understand the urge in his tone.

"_Haven't I told you already to shut up your yelling?_" the boy hissed at him.

Eren hadn't realized that he had been shouting. The shapes in the distance were shifting, coming closer. Then, he knew he had made a huge mistake by raising his voice like that.

"_It seems to me we're surrounded,_" the man said, looking in every which direction.

"We mustn't let them get at us," Eren said. "We can't fight them as we're now."

The boy was ignoring him.

"_They look like huge people,_" the man spoke again.

"_Giants?_" the boy asked. "_I thought they were just a legend…_"

"If we don't go now, they'll come and devour us!" Eren persisted, trying his best to keep his voice down. "Why won't you listen to me?"

He took a step closer. In a flash, the boy drew his sword, and Eren could feel the edge against the skin of his neck.

"_Keep back, unless you want your head cut off,_" the boy said threateningly.

"_Even if you kill me, your blade is useless against those Giants,_" Eren replied.

"_We shall see about that,_" the boy said, with a grin on his face.

"_You're a fool if you think you can take them on!_" Eren argued desperately, not even realizing the strange way he spoke.

"_Better to be a fool than to be a coward,_" the boy replied, untying the 3D manoeuvre gear from his back.

"_You can have it back, if you want it. It has no use for me._"

For a moment, Eren stared at the 3D manoeuvre gear in disbelief. Was he really intending to fight, with nothing more than his single blade?

"_It's up to you whether you run away or fight,_" the boy said, then turned to the man. "_Let's go!_"

"_Wait!_" Eren shouted after them. "_You're rushing into certain death!_"

The boy gave him another, strange smile. He pointed his drawn sword towards the direction of the approaching Titans.

"_No matter how high or strong a wall stands in our way, we would break through unfaltering._"

Saying this, he turned away again, facing the Titan threat. The two of them charged forward, leaving Eren behind on the rooftop.

'Just what the hell are they thinking?' he wondered, on the brink of despair.

Eren was taken aback by their recklessness… or was it rather what they call bravery?

'And I thought I was the one eager to die, always rushing off to danger,' he said to himself, looking at his 3D manoeuvre gear.

He made up his mind in a second. He hastily equipped his 3D manoeuvre gear, and followed the two of them.


	2. Unexpected Discovery

**Unexpected Discovery**

The sun was setting as they arrived at the Southern Gate. Commander Pixis was waiting for them on the top of the Wall. Leaving their horses behind, they climbed the Wall with their 3D gears. The Commander looked thoughtful, gazing into the distance.

"What is it this time?" Rivaille asked unceremoniously.

"There's something I'd like to ask your opinion of, Lance Corporal Rivaille," the Commander said. "It's good to see you've brought your best men to the task."

With a smile in his eyes, Pixis looked at Eren, Armin and Mikasa in turn.

"These are just the leftovers," Rivaille said dismissively. "Hardly sufficient."

Eren felt his muscles tense. Although the Lance Corporal always kept his cool, Eren could tell that deep down he was furious. His closest comrades had been killed during the last expedition outside the Walls, trying to protect Eren, and Commander Erwin had lost an arm and barely escaped with his life after retrieving Eren from the Titans. He wasn't worthy of praise, and he didn't expect it from anyone.

They followed Commander Pixis along the Wall, which stretched out before them into an endless distance. Eren was walking a few steps behind the others. He was afraid to be too close to Rivaille – he didn't want to give him another reason to be angrier than he already was, so he thought it would be the best if he stayed out of the way, out of his sight. He couldn't bear to have the Lance Corporal look at him with his piercing eyes, either.

As he watched the Lance Corporal from behind, the wings of freedom on the back of his cloak fluttering in the evening breeze, it occurred to him that rather than anger, what Rivaille wanted to conceal deep beneath the surface was his grief.

At late nights in the headquarters, Eren would hear sounds from the upper rooms. Mikasa told him once that Rivaille rarely slept at night – he would spend most of the time cleaning the spare rooms of the castle that served as the Scouting Legion's headquarters. Was it the Lance Corporal's way to vent his anger and grief? No wonder he always seemed to be on the edge those days.

Eren was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice immediately that the others had stopped. He almost bumped into Rivaille's back. He quickly moved a few steps back.

"Take a look at that," Commander Pixis said, indicating something below them. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before."

They all looked down. At the foot of the Wall lay a strange structure made up mostly of some kind of coloured canvas, ropes and bags. There must have been a fire, since part of the canvas was burnt to cinders. Sand was scattered all about, and Eren could catch a glimpse of shining metal in the glow of the setting sun.

"What the hell?" the Lance Corporal said, leaning out on the edge of the wall to have a closer look at the object.

"Indeed," Commander Pixis said, drawing out a flask from his pocket. "This is what we all want to know."

Eren refused the drink that was offered to him – once he tasted alcohol, and it was awful. And besides that, he thought that only the soldiers at the Stationary Guard ever drank alcohol – he had never seen anyone at the Scouting Legion drink anything but water or tea.

"I'm sure you've noticed already," the Commander continued, "that this area is no longer inhabited by the human population. Also, we rarely patrol here, but now something extraordinary has happened. My men reported that they'd seen an object – and quite a large one – in the sky, approaching from the southwest. They arrived within half an hour from the crash, and this is what they've found. It's been 24 hours since the discovery. I didn't make a report, nor did I send anyone near it to investigate. I want to hear your opinion first."

"It looks like a heap of junk to me," Rivaille said, standing up. "I'll have a closer look."

The Lance Corporal jumped down from the Wall. Eren moved instinctively to follow him, but stopped just on the edge.

"Ackerman!" Rivaille called, and Mikasa joined him immediately.

"Did such a thing really fall from the sky?" Eren wondered as he watched the Lance Corporal kick away some broken pieces of the structure.

It was getting dark, so the risk of a Titan attack was lower at that time of the day, but nevertheless it was dangerous to stay outside of the Wall. Eren looked up at Armin, who was standing beside him. He noticed a strange look on his face.

"Armin, you know what that thing is, don't you?"

Pixis looked at them, interested. Armin's face became bright red.

"I… I'm not sure," he said hesitantly.

Pixis took a few steps closer to them.

"Any kind of information you can provide would be extremely useful in this situation," he said, then added, "I can guarantee than no-one but the six of us – including Commander Erwin – may have knowledge about it. That is, until we find out what's it all about."

As he spoke, Rivaille and Mikasa had climbed the wall. The Lance Corporal had a piece of sheet in one hand.

"This filthy rag is the only thing worth retrieving," he said, tossing the torn piece of canvas sheet at their feet.

It bore a crest on it: a strange creature, with wings sprouting from its back. It was partly obscured by a dark-red blot.

"Is that… blood?" Eren asked, wide-eyed.

"Looks like it," Rivaille answered. "Human blood."

Armin shifted on his feet.

"Titan blood doesn't leave a trace like this. Someone was down there," Rivaille continued. "And also, there are deep cuts in the wall at certain intervals, made recently by someone climbing up. And more blood. If you look under your feet, you might notice the traces."

Eren was impressed how Rivaille seemed to have a keen eye for such details.

"I've expected nothing less from you, Lance Corporal," Pixis said, evidently pleased. "Now, Armin, I recon you don't mind sharing with us your ideas on this matter."

All eyes turned to Armin expectantly. He composed his thoughts, then spoke up.

"I think I've seen something like this before," he began. "Never in real life, but in a book…"

"Go on." the Lance Corporal said, interested.

"It's an aircraft," Armin continued. "I'm not really familiar with the mechanics behind it, but it can fly in the air. And it needs a person to operate it. From what we've learned so far, I can think of no other explanation."

"Do we even have the technology to make such large objects fly?" Rivaille wondered, looking at the wreck again, renewed interest in his eyes.

"I don't think so," Pixis said. "The fact that the thing came flying from the direction of Titan territory makes it even more a mystery."

"Do they have the technology, then?" Eren asked. "We've already confirmed that quite a number of them possesses intelligence. What if this thing is…?"

"More importantly, rather than this piece of junk, we should be more worried about the person flying it," Rivaille said. "If there're any survivors from the crash, we can't be sure of their intent. All that's certain is that they've already managed to get inside the Walls."

A moment of silence followed as it all sank in, then Commander Pixis spoke.

"I think everyone'd agree that no-one is more suited to hunt down these unwanted visitors than Lance Corporal Rivaille and his worthy soldiers."

That said, he took another sip from his flask.

"Can I count on you to sort it out before rumours start spreading, Lance Corporal?"

"It's such a pity my men are so few, and anything but worthy," Rivaille replied. "But I guess in these times one can't be too picky."

"Don't worry about that," Pixis said brightly. "I can always lend you some of my men, should you ever need them."

The Commander was smiling in a friendly manner that made Eren relax a bit, but Rivaille's face remained expressionless.

"Bring the evidence," Rivaille said to Eren, without even sparing him a glance. "We begin the search tomorrow morning."


	3. Night Visions

**Night Visions**

They spent the night in an inn close to Wall Rose. Not much after they had arrived, Rivaille was preparing to set out again to report the happenings to Commander Erwin.

"Commence the search at sunrise," he told them before leaving. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Tomorrow, you are to report to me at noon sharp, on the town square."

Saying this, he departed on his journey, into the night.

"It must be true, then, that he never sleeps," Eren said, looking at Rivaille's empty teacup on the table.

"We must get some rest," Mikasa said. "Eren, you should go to bed soon."

"I did nothing but lie in bed during the past few days," Eren replied. "And besides, who could be sleeping now? We should be heading out, too. The sooner we find them-"

"The Lance Corporal told us to wait until sunrise," Mikasa cut him off. "It was an order."

"Who cares about such an order?" Eren grumbled to himself. "And since when are you so obedient when it comes to the Lance Corporal?"

"Eren, Mikasa is right," Armin joined in. "We all need to rest. We don't know how powerful our enemies are, even injured. Tomorrow, we'll need all the strength we can get, so…"

"All right, all right," Eren sighed. "Let's go to bed."

He went to their room and lay down on one of the beds nearest the window. Mikasa and Armin soon joined him.

"I can't sleep while you keep staring at me like that, Mikasa," Eren said after a while, annoyed by the girl's gaze.

"I want to make sure that you're really sleeping," Mikasa replied.

"Then just shut your eyes already and let me sleep!" Eren snapped at her, turning the other way. "It's creepy. I'd rather sleep next to Armin…"

They didn't know why, but since Rivaille had left them, they felt like children abandoned in a dark forest. From then on, they could only rely on themselves, and they weren't sure whether they could do it. But they had to.

Eren didn't want to fall asleep. He planned to sneak out on his own while the others were sleeping. He wanted to have a look at the night sky. Inside, he felt restless, but sleep still managed to take him over.

In his dream, he had a strange sensation, as if he was floating in the air. A dark sky surrounded him, and he could see the rooftops beneath. The dark shape of a tower was looming in front of him. Eren had a strange feeling about it. He didn't want to get close, but he kept on drifting towards the tower. As he got closer and closer, he could make out a shadow watching him with gleaming eyes from the top. A pair of black wings emerged against the dark sky as the shadow took the form of the creature Eren had seen earlier on the unknown crest. It was waiting, with fangs bared, to devour him…

* * *

He heard a cry.

"Have you had some sweet dreams?" a voice asked in the darkness just before dawn.

The voice was low and rather indifferent. Eren recognized immediately that it belonged to the Lance Corporal. He realized that he was back in his room at the Scouting Legion's headquarters. He started up, confused.

"Mikasa?" he asked, looking around the room searchingly, expecting to see the girl sitting beside his bed instead of Rivaille.

"She has another business to attend to at the moment," Rivaille replied.

Things slowly started to come back to Eren.

"I heard a cry," he said. "Was I…?"

"No," Rivaille said. "It was Arlert."

"What…?" Eren started, a look of horror on his face.

"Don't worry," the Lance Corporal said. "He's all right. Only a bit startled by an unexpected discovery."

Eren felt more confused than ever. Rivaille noticed, and made a comment on it.

"I hope you're not suffering from amnesia again?"

Eren wasn't sure, so he didn't reply.

"Are you still sleeping?" Rivaille asked, losing patience.

"No!" Eren replied quickly.

"Good," Rivaille said, measuring him up with his cold grey eyes. "Get dressed, then. I need your help with the interrogation."

"Yes, sir," Eren said, still not quite sure what was going on.

Nevertheless, he got out of bed, and started to change into his uniform. Rivaille didn't leave the room, but stood with his back to the door, staring vacantly out of the small window. His presence made Eren rather embarrassed – he found it even worse than changing before Mikasa.

'Have I done something wrong?' he wondered, getting the feeling that the Lance Corporal was watching him closely from the corner of his eyes. It would have made adjusting the straps of the 3D gear even more difficult than usual. He would usually ask Armin to check them for him.

"Don't mind that," Rivaille said. "We won't be heading out just now."

Eren put down the straps, much relieved. He took his uniform jacket, and followed Rivaille out of the room. They were heading for the dungeons, not far away from Eren's own sleeping quarters. He didn't dare asking any questions. He could tell that the Lance Corporal was on the edge again.

The Lance Corporal led him to a far-away cell, deep into the dungeon. A single torch was illuminating the place. Armin was there, standing guard, with his back to the cell. Mikasa was there, too, kneeling behind the strong iron bars, with a medical kit at her feet. There were two other persons in the cell: one was lying motionless in a corner, the other was sitting in front of Mikasa, with both hands and feet chained.

As they stepped into the small room, the prisoner's head lifted, showing a pair of gleaming green eyes. As their eyes met, a shockwave travelled through Eren's body. Suddenly, he remembered…


	4. Capture Operation

**Capture Operation**

In his sleep, Eren felt that somebody was shaking him. He woke up with a start, and sat up in bed.

"I'm not asleep, Lance Corporal!" he said hastily.

Mikasa was staring back at him with a confused look in her eyes.

"It's only the three of us now, remember?" Mikasa said. "Rivaille had already left."

Eren recalled what had happened the previous day, and what was the mission the Lance Corporal had assigned to them. Pushing away the memories of his unpleasant dream to the back of his mind, he got out of bed.

"Eren, are you really all right?" Mikasa asked, sounding worried. "You're covered in sweat."

It was true. Eren himself felt that his forehead was wet, but he would never admit that anything was the matter.

"So what?" he replied. "Don't tell me you never sweat."

He was fumbling with the straps of his 3D gear harness. The fact that Mikasa was watching his every movement didn't help at all.

"Where's Armin?" he asked, noticing that the boy wasn't there with them in the room.

"He went to prepare the horses," Mikasa answered. "We have to cover as much of the area until noon as we can."

"Right," Eren said, putting on his uniform jacket.

They both equipped their 3D gears, and set out to town.

"We should split up, and search individually," Armin proposed. "It's more effective that way."

From the look on Mikasa's face, Eren could tell that she didn't like the idea very much, but eventually she complied.

"We can use the smoke signals to communicate from a distance," Armin continued. "Green for 'target found', black for 'immediate regroup' and red…"

"For 'trouble'," Eren said. "Got it."

Although he didn't know what exactly they were looking for, he was eager to set out at last. He saw it as a chance to somehow make up to the Lance Corporal, however small an atonement it would be. He would find whoever was inside that aircraft, and bring them back with him.

"And Eren…" Armin added. "Don't transform without orders."

"Goes without saying," Eren replied.

"In Rivaille's absence, I'm the one responsible for you," Mikasa reminded him, looking at Eren meaningfully.

"Tell me something I don't know already," Eren said, exasperated.

"Just be careful out there," Mikasa said, with the same worried glance.

"You, too," Eren told her and Armin.

Having said this, the three of them parted, looking for anyone strange and suspicious around the area.

The previous day, during their evening meal, Rivaille had already put some inconspicuous questions to the townsfolk about strange visitors, but without much success. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but at least they had to try. There was too much at stake.

After hours of looking around and asking questions from the local people, Eren was still not a pace ahead. He didn't see signals from the others, either. At least he knew they were safe.

After riding through the area that had been assigned to him, he arrived at the spacious town square. A fountain stood in the middle, spurting up shiny sparks of water towards the sky. Eren let his horse drink from the fountain. Cool droplets fell to his face while he stood there, looking at the column of water.

Thus resting his eyes, he noticed someone across form him, on the opposite side of the fountain. That person was tall, and covered in a traveller's cloak. When he removed his hood, Eren noticed the reddish hair, which gleamed vividly in the sunlight.

But there was something else that had caught his eye: the ends of the hair were slightly burned. As the person put his hands into the fountain, the water around them was a faint tinge of red. As he lifted his hands to wash his face, Eren met the green eyes of the person standing on the other side of the fountain. Both of them were startled by the other's glance. The stranger's hand moved, and Eren could see him grabbing the hilt of a sword beneath his cloak. Then he seemed to change his mind, and started to retreat.

'Burn marks… Blood…'

Slowly, but eventually Eren began contemplating the significance of what he had just seen. As realization finally dawned upon him, he moved to pursue the stranger, who was running away, fast.

'The signal!' Eren remembered. 'I have to fire it!'

He hastened back to his horse, got out the green smoke signal, and fired. Then, as fast as he could, he ran towards the direction where he had seen the stranger disappear between the buildings. Once there, he switched to 3D manoeuvre gear, and quickly caught up with him. With a swift swing, Eren landed in front of him, with his blades drawn.

"Who are you? Why were you running away?" he demanded, but the stranger did not reply.

He stood there, facing him, a tall, red-haired boy Eren's age. Slowly, the boy drew his sword, ready to fight. Eren's heart began to beat faster. He had never engaged in a real swordfight with anyone before. Unless Eren aimed to kill, his opponent had the upper hand. He remembered Rivaille's warning from last time: an important witness – he must capture them alive. Still, he had no idea how he would disarm his opponent. He hoped the others would show up before things got really tight, and thus overpowered, his opponent would surrender.

But then, something he didn't expect occurred. He felt a strong blow at the back of his head, and collapsed onto the ground. He had been a fool to suppose his opponent didn't have any allies around. He could hear a man's voice, and the boy replying him, but the words were all blurred. He felt himself being dragged into a narrow alley. As he slowly regained consciousness, he realized that they'd taken his 3D gear.

"_We should get out of here._" the boy said urgently. "_I think they're after us. Can you move now?_"

"_You won't get away._" Eren heard his own voice.

His head was still dizzy from the blow.

"_My comrades will come to get you._"

The strangers both looked at him, surprised

"_You talked differently just now._" the boy said to him.

Eren looked back at him, confused. Just then, the boy was distracted by a distant noise. Eren could hear it, too: he recognized the whizzing sound of wires from a 3D gear, rapidly closing in. He looked up and saw Mikasa jumping down the roof above them. Armin was with her, too. Eren felt relieved: now they had the upper hand – but then he realized that his weapon had been taken away.

"Eren!" Mikasa called to him.

Eren counted on her to be worried about him the first thing, but in the given situation, he also found it extremely annoying. Her expression was so easy to read, and their opponents didn't hesitate for a moment to take advantage of it. Soon, Eren could feel the edge of a sword touching the skin of his neck.

'They know…?' he wondered.

Both Mikasa and Armin stopped dead in their track.

"_Let us go freely, and we shall not hurt him,_" the boy said in a commanding tone.

Mikasa and Armin exchanged quick, confused glances.

"You're really not from here, are you?" Mikasa spoke, stepping forward. "If you dare hurting Eren, I'll kill both of you before you even know it!"

She made to jump, but just then, there was the sound of a shot, and Mikasa collapsed in pain, clutching her shoulder.

"Mikasa!" Eren shouted, his heart racing fast.

He couldn't see blood, but evidently she was in much pain.

"_Don't come any closer!_" the boy commanded.

Eren felt the blood rush into his head. His hand moved instinctively towards his mouth.

"Eren, don't do it!" he heard Armin shout, looking at him desperately.

"_Then what am I supposed to do, Armin?_" he snapped back at him. "_There's no other way I can fight!_"

He realized that Armin was looking at him strangely.

"Eren… you…?"

Now it was Eren's turn to be confused.

"_We're retreating!_" the boy said, pulling him away. "_Don't even try to follow us!_"

Eren tried to struggle, but received another blow, and blacked out again.

* * *

Lance Corporal Rivaille was pacing impatiently on the town square. It was already past noon, and his soldiers were late. As he approached the fountain, his foot hit something that rolled away on the stone pavement. He went to have a closer look. It was the case of a used-up smoke signal.

"Green," he observed. "Could it mean success?"

He allowed himself a faint smile, but not for long. To some distance, he could see a column of red smoke rising. He made for the direction immediately. Soon he found Armin and Mikasa in a dark alley. The girl was in a state of fury.

"We have to go after them!" she said, almost shrieking. "Armin, why didn't you-?"

She flinched in pain. Rivaille could tell that she was injured.

"Lance Corporal!" Armin said, finally realizing his presence.

"What happened here, Arlert?" Rivaille inquired, prepared for the worst.

"Eren was taken away, sir," Armin said, devastated. "I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything."

"I'll listen to your apologies later," Rivaille said in a cold voice. "Who took him?"

"It doesn't matter, we have to follow them while they're still close!" Mikasa cut in.

"We can't afford to underestimate our opponents!" Armin argued with her. "They wouldn't even hesitate to kill him if we cornered them!"

"But-!" Mikasa started protesting

"Eren would be fine on his own." Armin cut her in firmly. "Until we figure something out."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Mikasa shrieked, clutching her aching shoulder.

"Cut the crap, both of you!" Rivaille yelled at them, tired of having to hear their meaningless argument. "Remember that you're soldiers, not a bunch of kids fighting over some petty shit."

"But Lance Corporal…!" Mikasa began angrily, then shook her head. "No... You can't order me to do nothing. I'm going to protect him."

Mikasa prepared to jump, but Rivaille caught her and pinned her to the wall. Tears of pain and helpless frustration were streaking her cheeks.

"The lives of my men are just so damn important to be thrown away so recklessly," the Lance Corporal said with restrained anger. "No matter how skilled you are, a wound like that could mean the end of you."

Saying this, Rivaille ripped open Mikasa's blouse to reveal her injured shoulder. Armin exclaimed in horror, but didn't dare to intervene. Mikasa's shoulder wasn't bleeding, but it was badly bruised. The bone might have been shattered underneath the skin.

"Arlert." the Lance Corporal called.

Armin quickly recovered from his shock.

"Bring the horses. We're retreating for now. I want to hear every detail about what happened."


	5. Patience's Reward

**Notes: **A rather awkward chapter with Mikasa and Rivaille. I just can't stand them hating each other that much.  
A stern, but gentle father and a defiant daughter, who still needs some parental love and caring - I probably had that in mind when I wrote this. Sorry, you can just skip this chapter if you don't like the idea.  
I'll edit the following chapters and upload them later...

* * *

**Patience's Reward**

Mikasa couldn't just sit back and rest like she was ordered to do. Still fully armed, she was waiting impatiently for the Lance Corporal to decide what to do next. She wanted to go after Eren as soon as possible. After what seemed a long time to her, Rivaille entered the room carrying bandages and a bowl of water in his hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked reproachfully. "I told you to rest, yet here you are, still wearing your 3D gear."

Mikasa didn't reply, but it was obvious enough: she was still eager to rush out and find Eren.

"You need help with that, don't you?" Rivaille remarked.

Mikasa averted her eyes from him. The Lance Corporal put the bandages and the water on a small table, then went to help Mikasa unequip. He removed her jacket carefully and unstrapped her harness, untying the red scarf Mikasa always wore around her neck and folding it neatly for her. The girl could hardly move her right arm. He made her sit down on a chair and pulled her boots off for her. Mikasa bore the whole procedure expressionlessly. She couldn't let herself be embarrassed. Her blouse was still pulled apart, some of the buttons missing.

"Forgive me for my earlier conduct," Rivaille apologized, standing up. "Now I would like you to let me examine and treat your injury."

Mikasa didn't reply, still avoiding his gaze. She had already convinced herself that all this didn't matter. She was a soldier. Still, the Lance Corporal's politeness struck her as something unexpected, making her uncomfortable.

"May I have your permission?" Rivaille asked again.

There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice: he was asking seriously. Mikasa was confused.

"You can just order me," she answered at length. "After all, I'm a soldier."

Rivaille smiled faintly.

"It's an order, then: please, bear with me."

He removed her blouse, uncovering her injured shoulder. He had to find out how serious her injury was by feeling her bones with his hands. It hurt a lot, but Mikasa willed herself not to cry out in pain.

"All I can do for you now is to bandage it up and hope it'll heal properly," Rivaille said, cleaning the injured area with hot water and preparing the bandage.

Unwillingly, Mikasa realized how gently the Lance Corporal treated her – it reminded her of the time when she was a small child, and still had her family. Until now she never realized how she had been longing for this feeling of having her parents back. For the moment, she felt warm and reassured. She even managed to forget about her pain. Was it because of what Rivaille did, or what he said to her afterwards?

"I understand well how you must feel, since he's your only family," the Lance Corporal said. "But I also agree with Armin. Eren will probably be all right. There is no use in rushing. We have to think first."

Mikasa was staring vacantly before her, without saying a word.

"You might think I'm heartless," Rivaille continued, "and you might believe I don't give a damn about Eren, but that's not the truth."

Mikasa's eyes finally moved to meet his.

"Our intentions are the same," Rivaille said firmly. "I want to protect Eren, just like you. And not just because I've pledged my heart to the task. I truly feel responsible for those who are put under my care."

Mikasa lowered her eyes. She had never heard the Lance Corporal talk so much before.

"Sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable," Rivaille resumed. "But I don't believe there's nothing we can do to prevent them. I can't let those whom I care for rush into their ends without any good reason. You're no exception from that, Mikasa."

Mikasa realized that it was the first time the Lance Corporal had called her by her first name. He usually did so with whom he was the closest among the soldiers of the Scouting Legion.

She could hardly keep her tears back. Until now, she was acting selfish, not caring about anyone or even herself, devoting all her attention blindly to Eren. She never recognized the Lance Corporal's concerns or his grief over losing so many of his comrades, even sacrificing them to protect Eren. She felt ashamed of ever having felt hatred for the man.

"I'm sorry, Lance Corporal," she said, unable to contain her tears any longer.

After the pain, the bittersweet memories brought back for a moment, she felt relieved, but unspeakably sad. She was crying. The Lance Corporal took out his immaculately clean handkerchief, and offered it to her. Mikasa accepted it, and wiped off the tears from her face. For a fleeting moment, she could feel Rivaille's hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.

"You can keep it as a reminder of what we were talking about," the Lance Corporal said, then left the room.

* * *

Mikasa had never expected that worry would tire her so much. Before she knew it, she was sleeping in bed. Her body needed the rest badly, and even her aching wound couldn't prevent her from falling asleep. Half-dreaming, she felt the presence of another person in the room. Oddly enough, she didn't find it unwelcome or threatening. On the contrary: she felt comforted, knowing that she wasn't alone. She wondered who it was. She heard a voice saying softly, "I'm leaving now."

Mikasa wanted to plead for the voice to stay, but she found herself unable to utter a syllable. Sleep was still weighing heavily down on her chest.

"You must stay in bed, and wait," the voice continued.

'Wait? For what?' Mikasa wanted to ask.

"Be a good girl, and when I return, I'll bring with me what you wish for," she was told.

'What I wish for?' she wondered.

Her sleepiness started slowly to dissolve. She knew exactly what she wished for.

"Eren!" she woke up with a start.

She found herself alone in the room. Was it only a dream? It sounded like a promise. But why should she be waiting there, lying in bed, until someone brings Eren back to her? She wanted to see him as soon as possible, she wanted to protect him, to bring him back by her side. Her only family…

She realized that she was gripping something soft in one hand. A perfectly white handkerchief. Her conversation with the Lance Corporal came back to her mind. Rivaille wanted her to stay there, because she was injured. He was worried about her. He didn't want to lose any more of his soldiers. She realized that the Lance Corporal was talking about her as if he had already acknowledged her. It would have been an honour, being a soldier under Lance Corporal Rivaille, but the thought somehow made her uneasy.

Her first impression of the man had been that he was a heartless monster, who enjoyed being sadistic. However, her first expedition outside the Walls had taught her that Rivaille felt a very strong responsibility for his soldiers, and even though he never let it show outwardly, he must have felt deeply over the death of his comrades. Mikasa imagined him having to watch his fellow soldiers die during the expeditions. Returning alive and remembering was a heavy burden, but he still managed not to collapse under the weight.

Mikasa would no doubt have admired him if there wasn't the fact that he treated Eren like a dog, and she secretly hated Eren for allowing him to do so. Even the fact that they were soldiers who were supposed to obey orders from their superiors couldn't make her forget her anger at Rivaille. She still felt it deep down in her heart, although she had decided to suppress her personal feelings and swallow her pride. She would obey the Lance Corporal, and trust his judgement. She would give him a chance. Or rather, she would give herself a chance to feel something other than hatred for Rivaille.

However, living up to her resolve proved to be more tasking than she had expected. Waiting without doing anything only made her even more impatient. Her body ached to go out, or at least to move, to feel like she was in action, but her injury limited her movement. It was painful to lift her right arm. Eventually, she decided it was better to stay still, like the Lance Corporal had said. She sat against the wall on the bed, closing her eyes and repeating the promise in her thoughts.

'Be a good girl, and when I return, I'll bring with me what you wish for,' it reminded her of a fairy tale she heard as a child from her father. His voice was always so comforting, but she would never hear it again. She had no family in this world other than Eren…

She felt greatly relieved when Armin finally returned to her with news form the Lance Corporal: Eren was safe. Rivaille ordered them to return to headquarters immediately. Mikasa was ready to comply. The Lance Corporal had been true to his promise.


End file.
